Kanye West and Travis Scott’s planned back-to-back takeover of one of Italy’s biggest concert venues has been stopped before either artist could step onstage.
Italian authorities have banned upcoming concerts by West, now known as Ye, and Scott, scheduled for July at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, a northern Italian city. Ye was set to headline the Hellwat Festival on July 18, while Scott was expected to perform at the same venue one night earlier on July 17.
Reggio Emilia prefect Salvatore Angieri announced Saturday that he ordered both shows canceled over security concerns. The RCF Arena can hold 103,000 spectators, and organizers said Ye’s appearance would have been one of his largest arena performances but Angieri cited the close timing of the two concerts, the number of fans expected to arrive in the city within a 24-hour span and the “concrete risk” of protests connected to Ye’s appearance, as a reason for the walkback.
Local Jewish community members, anti-fascist resistance groups, trade unions and politicians had previously called for Ye’s show to be canceled because of his antisemitic remarks.
Ye has faced backlash after saying “I Love Nazis” on social media, selling T-shirts featuring a swastika on his website and releasing a song called “Heil Hitler.” He later published a full-page apology in The Wall Street Journal in January, attributing his conduct to manic episodes connected to bipolar disorder.
The Hellwat Festival team said on social media that it is still trying to bring Ye to Italy on July 18, possibly at a location near Reggio Emilia under a different jurisdiction.
On Saturday night, Ye performed at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium, where he said the show drew 118,000 people and called it the “largest stadium performance in history.” Scott also appeared on the globe-shaped stage. The two recently teamed up on “Father,” a track from Ye’s latest album, Bully.
Scott’s own concert history includes the 2021 Astroworld festival in Houston, where 10 people died in a crowd crush. Ye is currently scheduled to perform in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8, Tirana, Albania, on July 11, and Prague on July 25.
